Starching-machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

n. H. NEWTON. STARGHING MACHINE.

110.571,281. Patented Nov. 10, 1896.

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Nrrnn STATES DANIEL II. NE'WTON, OF ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR, BYMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF ONE-HALF rTO JENNIE O. DARROlV, OF MINNEAPOLIS,

MINNESOTA.

STARCHlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,281, dated November10, 1896.

Application filed January 24, 1896. Serial No. 576,634. (No model.)

T0 au whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL H. NEWTON, a citizen of the United States,residing atRochester, in the county of Olmsted and State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStarching-lliachines; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to starching-inachines, and has for its object toimprove the same, with a view of simplicity of construction, low rstcost, better quality of work, and greater capacity.

The machine is especially designed for use in starching collars andcuffs, but is also capable of general application for starching manyother kinds of articles.

To these ends my invention consists of the novel devices andcombinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. Therein like lettersrefer to like parts throughout the several views. l

Figure l is a perspective view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a verticalcentral longitudif nal section through the saine. Fig. 3 is a detail inperspective showing the lnountings for the wringing-rollers, and Fig. Ilis a detail showing the bearing-box used for all the inside rollers inthe vat with the exception of the wringing-rollers.

a d a2 0,3 at represent the Xed framework of the machine, as shown, ofwhich parts a represents suitable supporting-legs adapted to be boltedto the iioor h. a represents the body or starch-vat proper; a2, the topthereof; a3, the feed-table at the head end of the machine, and aL thedelivery-table at the foot or delivery end of the machine.

The vat a is preferably made with converging ends and with its sidewalls extended above the tables a3 and a4 and having applied thereto theremovable top plate or cover c2, leaving the vat entirely open at itsreceiving end in the part of the same extending above the feed-table as.The delivery end is partly closed above the table a4 by a cross-flangec, rising from the table and a cross-plate d, fixed to the side wallsdirectly under the cover a2, which construction leaves a sufficientopening between the said parts di and a for the outward passage of oneof the aprons therethrough, as will be presently noted. IVithin the saidvat are mounted a pair of receiving or feed rollers o c, a pair ofsinglyacting saturating-rollers CZ d', a pair of wringing-rollers ff',suitable guide-rollers 7L 7L', and on the delivery-table a4 adelivery-roller 7s, mounted in bearings 7e', secured to said table bynutted bolts k2. The receiving or feed rollers c o' are at the mouth ofthe vat in position to receive from the table a3. The wringing-1ollersff are at the delivery end of the vat, and the saturatin g-rollers d dare located a short distance above the bottom of the vat, but below thestarch-level in the 7o same. The said saturating-rollers d d arepreferably of polygonal form, being shown as of Octagon form incross-section.

On the rollers c, d, d', f, 71 L, and t is mounted an endless apron p,and on the rollers c', d, cl', and f is mounted an endless apron p. Withthis mounting of the said aprons j) p they will run together face toface throughout one section of their travel or circuit through the vat,thereby permitting their facing folds to operate as a conveyer forholding and carrying the cuffs, collars,or other articles to be starchedthrough the vat, while the lower apron p will pass on outwa rd throughthe delivery-opening of the vat and over the roller 7o above thedeliverytable a4 for the discharge of the starched articles onto thesaid table or their exposure on the top of the apron outside the vat forthe removal therefrom by the attendant. The rollers c c are so locatedas to afford a feed-opening between the aprons p p' at the mouth of thevat, and the saturating-rollers d d are so located as to cooperate with'the facing folds of said aprons p p or the conveyer-section insuccession from opposite sides of the same.

\ The receiving or feed rollers c c and the saturating-rollersd CZ', aswell as the rollers h, 7L', and k, may be of any suitable material,

but are preferably made of finned bronze. roo

The wringing-rollers ff are made of rubber, and the journals of the sameare mounted in sliding boxes f2, held by vertical guides f3, and theupper boxes are subject to the action of hand-screws f4, screwed throughthe head ends of said guides. This construction permits the saidwringing-rollers f f to be set under any desired pressure or tension.The journals of said wringing-rollers f f extend outward at one endbeyond the adjacent guide f3 and are provided with engaging gears f5.

The lower wrin ger shaft or journal is provided with means for theapplication of power,which means is shown as in the form of a pulley f6,receiving motion from a belt f7, driven from a line-shaft or othersource. (Not shown.) Circulating connections should also be provided forthe supply of steam to keep the liquid starch hot within the vat. Theseconnections may of course be of any suitable form. For the purpose ofillustration Ihave shown a removable steain-pan s wit-hin the vat, whichis connected to a valved steamsupply pipe s at one end and a valvedoutlet or waste pipe s2 at the other end.

The vat is filled with starch to a point above the level of theuppermost member of the saturating-rollcrs d cl. There may be anydesired number of the said saturating-rollers d d', but they must besingly-acting rollers and should cooperate with the facing folds orconveyer-section of said aprons in succession from opposite sides of thesame. I have found that two of such saturating-rollers d CZ', arrangedsubstantially as shown, will do excellent work.

The aprons p p must be of flexible porous material and are preferablymade of linen cloth or similar textile fabric.

All the rollers located in the vat, with the exception of thewringing-rollers f f', are mounted in yoke-like bearings t, a specimenof which is shown detached in Fig. 4. These bearing-yokes t are open atone side, but are so placed with respect to the line of strain thereonfrom the aprons p p' that the rollers will remain in proper workin gposition. This construction permits all of the said rollers so mountedto be readily removed whenever necessary or desirable for any purpose.

As the wringer-rollers f f are positively driven they constitute thedrive-rollers for imparting motion to the aprons p p and all the otherrollers over which the said aprons move.

z z represent, respectively, collars entering and leaving the vat.

Having regard to the action on the goods, it is obvious from what hasalready been said that the collars, cuffs, or other articles will becarried through the vat between the facing folds of the aprons p p as aconveyer and be delivered over the table at by the lower member p ofsaid aprons. Itis also obvious that inasmuch as the said aprons dip intothe liquid starch in the common section of their circuits or travel theywill carry the articles into the liquid, thereby causing the apronsthemselves and the extcriors of the collar, cuff, or other article tobecome loaded with the liquid starch before the article reaches theiirst or lowermost of the said saturating-rollers d d. Under the actionof the roller d against the facing folds of said aprons and the articleheld thereby the starch will be forced through the article and theexternal apron in one direction. On passing from the iirst to the secondof said saturating-rollers d CZ the aprons will again become loaded withthe starch, and under the action of the second roller CZ the starch willbe forced through the article and the external apron in the reversedirection from that which took place under the action of the precedingroller d. In this way the said saturatingrollers dd', acting against thesaid flexible porous aprons as a bed and conveyer, will force the starchinto and through all the interstices of the article, thereby thoroughlysaturating the same with the starch. On reaching the wringing-rollers ff which are above the starch-level in the vat, the starch will besqueezed out from the article and the aprons to any desired extent,according to the pressure on said wringing-rollers, and the starch t-huswrung out will fall into the vat, while the articles will be carried outover the delivery-table a4 upon the lower apron lp.

The polygonal form of the saturating-rollers d d', which, as beforestated, are of Octagon form in cross-section, is of large importance inthe saturating action. A flat-sided roller is thus afforded, whichoperates somewhat differently than a round roller. lVith the polygonalor flat-sided roller the corners between the faces serve to effect acut-off between the starch to the rearward of the engaged corner and thestarch ahead of the same on the apron and the article, so as to cage thesame, as it were, until subjected to the iiat face of the roller. Inthis way an abundance of starch is insured for the pressing orsaturating action of the Hat-faced roller. With a round roller theeffectwould be more similar to that of a wringing-roller;or,otherwisestated7 the starch would be rolled backward from the articleandthe aprons rather than caged and squeezed through the same. For thereason of this caging action on the starch the octagonal rollers d d arevery eective in the saturating action on the articles.

From the fact that the aprons and all the rollers over which they passreceive motion from the wringing-rollers ff' at the delivery end of themachine, as hitherto noted, it must be obvious that the aprons p p areheld taut in their forward travel through the vat or throughout theircommon circuit, wherein they serve as a conveyer for the articles to bestarched, and from this fact it follows that there can be no buckling orlap-sections in the aprons or the article while under the starchingaction. Whatever slack there is IOO IIO

in the aprons will occur in the return paits of their circuits, wherethe same can do no harm.

From the foregoing statements it will be seen that the articles aresaturated with the stareh without any rubbing action thereon whatsoeverand when the articles are held iiatwise and taut. Hence there is noinjury or mutilation of the fabric of the article and no bagging orcreasing in any part thereof. It is also obvious that as the feed is acontinuous one the capacity of the machine is greatly increased therebyover an intermittent feed. Owing to the effective action of thesaturating-rollers d d', this feed may also be a compara-tively rapidone. Hence the only limit to the machine is the capacity of the operatoror attendant to supply the articles at the receiving end and remove thesame from the delivery end of the machine.

By actual experience with a fullsized worliing machine I havedemonstrated all of the foregoing statements-that even with the rapidfeed the articles will be thoroughly starched, will be delivered freefrom mutilation or creases, as above quoted, and therefore be capable ofa much finer finish when properly ironed or calendered thancorresponding articles starched by the old hand method or by anyapparatus before known to me. As to the capacity, Ihave demonstratedthat with a machine having rollers of nine inches in length and operatedby hand with a crank-handle at the rate of fty revolutions of thewringing rollers per minute twelve hundred collars or cuffs may bethoroughly starched per hour and that the work will be so perfect as notto require any hand action whatsoever to complete the starching action.

It will be understood, of course, that minor details of the constructionmight be changed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

In machines of small size, for household use, che., the power-p ulleymay be substituted by a crank-handle for operation by hand, and, owingto the rapidity or capacity of the machine, steam connections maybedispensed with in all cases except for heavy mercantile use, wherecontinuous action is required for several hours at a time.

IV hat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows:

l. In a machine, for starching collars, cuffs and other articles, thecombination with a starch-vat, of a iiexible conveyer, for the articles,formed by the facing folds of a pair of endless aprons or carriers,running together face to face in one section of their circuits throughsaid vat, and two or more singly-acting saturating-rollers cooperatingwith said conveyer or facing folds of said aprons, from opposite sidesof the same, in succession, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

2. In a machine for starching collars, cuffs and other articles, thecombination with a starch-vatof a flexible conveyer formed by the facingfolds of a pair of endless porous aprons or carriers running face toface, in one section of their circuits through said vat, and a series oftwo or more singly-acting saturating-rollers, cooperating with saidconveyer or facing folds of said aprons, from opposite I 4 Thecombination with the starclrvat, of

the receiving or feed rollers c c', the octagonal saturating-rollers CZ,d', the wringingrollers ff', the delivery-roller 7s, and suitableguiderollers, as h h', the textile-fabric apron p mounted on the rollersc d d f k h h', and the textile-fabric apron p mounted on the rollersc', CZ d f, and means for imparting motion-t0 said rollers and aprons,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL II. NEVTON.

Witnesses:

JAs. F. WILLrAMsoN, FRANK L. DARRow.

